As The Pendulum Swings
by altruisticpsyche
Summary: What would you do if you were the master of time? Would you rewrite the past, add to the present or completely alter the future? Bella is kidnapped by a vampire that is able to alter time. She is at once fascinated and disgusted with him. Will she bend and bow to his desires or give him a run for his money?


**A/N: This story started off with the 7 day Writing Challenge issued by Joe Bunting. The aim is to write 1000 words per day to develop a good writing habit. This is what I wrote in the last 3 days. Between ATPS and my other story, _Darkest Africa,_ I aim to write 1000 words or more every day. Chapters will be roughly 3k - 5k words long. Darkest Africa will be posted in the next 12-18 hours (once fictionpress dot com gives me the go ahead).**

 **I will ultimately include scenes of fluff and smut -in due time. However, this is not a story based on erotica. Chapter one focuses solely on one of the issues that arises with sleeping disorders: anxiety. This is a story about time. I hope to do it justice. Plot twists are not set in stone and I am open to requests.**

 **Happy reading x**

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CHAPTER ONE:

Sand particles trickled down in a steady motion, caressing the delicate crystal with a gritty touch, as it squeezed its way through to the bottomless pit, vanishing. It was a slow and graceful process, dropping thousands of grains deep into the abyss of irretrievable objects, yet, precious few appreciated the crystal's value and it's contents even less so.

Sighing heavily, Bella tossed the heavy duvet off and padded barefoot to the kitchen. A sleepy yawn stretched her mouth wide and extinguished in a sharp exhale. Gazing over at the glittering clock ticking silently away, she heaved another deep sigh, half filling a glass with water and quenching her non-existent thirst.

Sleep evaded her weary clutches nightly. Insomnia was a dirty thief, stealing golden minutes of rest from her life. She drooped over the counter top with exhaustion and stared at her reflection in the microwave's glass, her cheek half squashed into the cool granite. Pressing a finger under her eye, she nimbly traced the dark smudge that had taken up permanent residence, marring her face.

Initially, she had fought a valiant battle against the disorder for months, surviving on four to five hours of blissful sleep a night. Somnil had become her toughest soldier in the war that raged within her, sending her off into unconsciousness before the enemy could strike his sword, leaving her to doze peacefully.

Her winning streak came to an abrupt end, the night her soldier turned traitorous and traded places, in her ongoing battle for some decadent shuteye. She'd woken up from the bizarre dreams feeling ever more weary and as each dusk passed, her dreams progressively turned into life-like nightmares.

After many mornings of waking up drenched in sweat, she'd eventually deduced that the dark rogue images, haunting her subconscious theatre, were of the little blue pill's doing and had immediately thrown the entire lot out with the garbage. Her one and only saving grace had been flushed from her system.

Slumping down onto the white tiles, Bella pulled her legs against her chest and a sob, created from the endless hours of sleeplessness, leaked out from deep within. She was beyond exhausted and struggling to keep up with her day to day tasks, a deep depression burrowing into the marrow of her bones.

Bella's insomnia had been the bane of her existence, up until the point where it had aligned itself with a formidabble enemy, leaving her shattered in fatigue. Broken sleep had become Insomnia's partner in crime, an accomplice to her endless hours of stolen slumber and -together- they were working to slaughter the princess warrior, leaving her to float along in an onyx pool of misery.

Bella dropped her head between her raised legs as her world began to tilt on its axis. The dizzy spells, the panic, the lack of oxygen -it all bred and thrived on a mountain of anxiety. It was a recent change she was trying desperately to understand and cope with. She clamped her eyes shut to begin the procedure that would calm the rising panic thrumming through her blood stream, her breathing short and erratic.

A solitary tear escaped her shuttered eyes, trickling down her clammy skin, as her chest rose and fell capriciously.

 _You're not dying; Bells. Breathe. Focus._

Blanking out all irrelevant thought, she began her breathing technique, her body trembling.

 _Exhale deeply,_ she reminded herself, counting to eight, as a flow of warm air passed her lips.

Struggling to absorb a singular breath back into her lungs, a surge of panic welled inside Bella. She gripped her head tight, fingers digging into her scalp and tangling with her thick locks, as she curled her hands into fists. Danger from the lack of oxygen flashed ominously in her mind and her body jolted in restlessness.

 _Breathe in, Bella. Breathe in._

Deep green eyes shot open and a sharp inhalation resonated through the moonlit kitchen, reverberating in the small space loudly. Bella jumped to her feet, momentarily losing her balance and gripped tight onto the drawers for stabilisation.

 _I need to get out of here!_ The screaming thought tore through her mind.

Her chest bounced rapidly as she made a beeline for the front door, gulping down bucket fulls of oxygen in a broken rhythm. Not acknowledging the minimal clothing she'd donned earlier the previous evening, Bella ripped open the heavy oak door and bounded down the steps into the night.

Landing with a hefty thud onto the driveway, she slipped into her most carnal instinct and a flurry of dark energy surged forth.

 _GO! GET AWAY!_

Cool air accosted her body. Bella welcomed the chilling sensation, as her body continued to burn hotter than the sun from the inside out, melting away the last threads of her sanity. Lungfuls of fresh air penetrated her bloodstream and she pushed harder to get away from the onslaught of frightening sensations wracking her fragile psyche.

Bella raced through the night. She had zero sense of direction or the slightest clue as to her final destination, her feet pounding the ground as she flew past street lamp after street lamp. She needed to get as far away from the danger as she possibly could. Her only thought lighting up inside her like a bright flashing neon light:

 _RUN!_

Seconds, minutes tick tocked by and still, Bella continued to sprint through the dimly lit neighbourhood, never once relenting to her body's cries to slow down or cease the burning aches shooting through her bare feet. It was only once she'd reached the edges of a dense forest that she chose to obey her body's primal commands.

Breathing rapidly, sweat running in rivulets down her back, Bella came to a grinding halt and placed her hands against her slightly bent legs. Fatigue swept through her delicate frame and she crumbled to the ground, knees scraping along the harsh texture of earth.

Rolling onto her back, Bella placed a hand over her erratic heartbeat and dragged the other heavily across her facial features before it slumped to the ground, her knees burning from the grazing. Her hair knotted in the sand and grit, tangling with broken leaves and small stones.

Slowly but surely, as time slipped away, she felt her rational thought return and the threads of her sanity weaving back into her overrun body. Staring blankly up at the star littered sky, she finally managed to execute her breathing technique flawlessly.

 _Deep, long exhale._

 _Deep, short inhale._

 _Hold breath for seven seconds._

Bella's eyes wandered lazily over the burning lights far above and she fell into a trance-like state, arms spread wide at her sides. She'd always loved the night sky: keeper of a billion secrets. She felt temporarily freed from the from the most debilitating disorder that ran rampant through her. The monster that always sunk his teeth into her supple body had been defeated for the night. With a lazy, dazed smile at her victory, she lifted her battered body to its feet, resting back on a sturdy tree and immediately freezing at the sight that met her widening eyes.

Standing off in the distance, almost obscured by the edges of the forestry, was a man standing tall and stoic. Surprised, she tried to take a step back and met rough bark. Her naked foot crunched down on drying leaves and a grimace flitted across her face, his dark eyes following her movement with laser precision.

Bella continued to stare at the blonde in mild fascination, a wisp of something entrancing floating about her consciousness. She took a step forward and watched his head cock to the side. She paused.

His curious stare penetrated through her and she shifted uncomfortably, becoming painfully aware of how underdressed she was. Looking down at her attire, she tugged on the flimsy shirt that barely covered her legs and a flush of embarrassment washed over her. Snapping her eyes back up to the man, she blinked rapidly at the empty space where he'd been stood.

Dragging a hand over her tired face, she breathed in deeply and turned full circle, scoping out her surroundings, searching and coming up empty. Bella concluded that he'd been a hallucination, a figment of her imagination and her subconscious was nudging her to get back to safety.

"Stupid lack of sleep," she grumbled to herself.

Breathing in deep, she turned to jog back home and the entrancing sensation from earlier took hold of her consciousness once again.

"What the hell?" She twirled around, expecting to see the mysterious man and cast a discerning eye to the shadows of the night. Nothing. All was silent and still.

Shaking her head and shoulders to rid herself of the strange feeling, she wriggled her hands and her weary mind tried to formulate a response to what she was feeling. She'd never felt anything like it but it had not caused her anxiety levels to spike. Pondering briefly over why the odd encounter left her feeling unbalanced, she determined that her lack of slumber was beginning to take over the reigns in her life.

"I need to find a solution," she whispered as she set into a light jog homeward, "Soon."

The inky expanse above had begun to lighten and the first signs of daybreak painted soft streaks of light colour across the scattered clouds. She had a busy day ahead of her and cringed at the thought of a full schedule. She was much too tired for it. All she wanted to do was flop down on her mattress and fall into a deep sleep, catching up on the rest which had eluded her like a ninja.

Crossing over the threshold of her driveway, she slowed her brisk movement and winced, catching sight of the front door standing wide open. Her anxiety was becoming more of a disability every day, leaving her incapable of performing the most basic tasks. If her rash actions during her meltdowns continued to rear its ugly head, she would soon find her life falling to pieces in a slow progression that would snowball. She desperately needed a resolution.

Dragging her feet sluggishly toward the front door, she swiped at the perspiration itching the back of her neck and a massive yawn travelled deep through her petite form. She dropped her hand to dangle alongside her hips. Stepping inside, she ran a quick security check through her home to ensure all was as it should be. She needed a good scrub down to refresh her body and mind. Smiling tiredly at the thought of hot, bubbly water soothing her aching muscles, she stepped into the bathroom and began to prepare for a long soak in the tub. She had time to kill.

A dark, low growl invaded her serene fatigue, as she slipped off the ratty, oversized t-shirt. Bella peeked her head out of the bathroom door, her heart thrashing wildly against her ribcage, eyes searching the vacant room with speed for the source of the animalistic sound. She yelped out loud and spun on her heel, hands rushing to cover her bare breasts and mortification slammed into her, as trepidation clawed it's way up her spine.

"Hello, Bella."

Her mouth popped open in a wide, silent 'O' and her eyes bulged at the sight of the man from the forest. She thought he had been conjured from her weary state of mind. She took a few calculated steps back and darted into the room, lunging for her pillow, all thoughts of modesty gone in a rush of rising panic.

 _Gods! Where is it? It's always here when I go to bed._

The frenzied search for her cellphone continued and her breathing increased sharply. _Not now. Please, not now,_ she begged to all the deities above, praying to avoid a double attack in less than twenty-four hours. At the sound of his voice, she froze completely, hands buried under her mass of pillows as they stopped in their hunt.

"Looking for this?" An amused chuckle followed his query.

As if in slow motion, Bella's head turned and her eyes locked in on the black Note 5 dangling from his fingertips. Horror dawned on her and she stared on in morbid fascination, as he effortlessly crushed the Samsung in his fist until it became nothing more than flecks of dust and small shards. Indignation flicked it's tongue over her thoughts in a long, languid stroke, making her sputter.

Before she could look up into his eyes, a startled gasp flew from her throat, her body roughly flipped over and she screamed in terror, noticing his blood red eyes for the first time. Slamming a deathly cold hand over her mouth, chills flickering through her veins, he bent low and brought their faces closer together, "Don't."

The threat rung loud and clear, as his eyes studied her, dissecting the very fibre that brought her into existence, making her squirm uncomfortably. Raising one eyebrow, he silently questioned if she would have another fit of foolishness to which she vehemently shook her head, eyes wide with fear.

"Good girl," he smirked and it sent a wave of nausea through the pit of her belly. She blinked furiously to keep the tears at bay and swallowed down the lump of uneasiness lodged in her throat, his icy hand letting go. Once the moisture had dissipated, she squeezed her eyes shut tight until she began to see dots of white floating behind her lids. Snapping them open, she expected to see her assailant's stark features and met nothing but cool air and open space.

Her head clouded with confusion. One moment dirty blonde curls were obscuring her vision, the owner pinning her to the bed and the next it had all vanished. He'd vanished. She bolted upright and began to tremble, her eyes flitting over the seemingly empty room. Had she dreamt it up? Surely not.

Were her mind and body so strained from sleep deprivation to have played such a cruel joke on her? Had her sleeping disorders reached such a severe, precarious state that she had begun lucid dreaming now? The nightmare had been vivid and potent.

Flying from her vulnerable position, she rushed into her closet, flung on her gown and slammed the doors shut, sinking heavily to the floor. Tremors continued to rock through her limbs, spasming up with every hard tremble and it all became too much for her. Day after day, she struggled to retain her attention on completing every day tasks, more pressing ones falling to the wayside. Night upon endless night she lay awake all hours, praying for the sandman to caress her body and mind into a deep state of unconsciousness. She snapped.

A blood curdling cry erupted from her chest, splintering her ear drums in the enclosed space, as a flurry of salty liquid gushed down her high cheek bones and flooded her face. Her haunting cries of frustration, anguish and deep sorrow continued to reign supreme, seconds blurring into minutes, her depression settling in for the long haul.

She cried over the times she laid awake in the dead of night, physically drained. She cried for the anxiety that had stealthily crept in with lack of sleep, battering her mind. She cried for the depression that had attached itself to her overall state, beating her emotions down into a numb pulp. She felt lost at sea, floating around aimlessly on a flimsy raft with minimal hope of being saved. Hours slipped through her fingers and she could not remember what they had all been used for or what she had intended to allocate them to.

During her meltdown she'd walked in a stupor back to the bathroom, needing to lock herself away in a safety zone. Resting her hands on the sink, she leaned forward and observed the tear tracks marking her face in the rectangular mirror. The gun metal grey of the steel framed her reflection in a celtic knot design and the low lighting masked the extent of her swollen eyes.

Popping the lid on her antidepressants, Bella flicked one pill out and washed the Zoloft down with some tap water, waiting for the effects to kick in. She would have to let the university and work know that she was terribly ill today and wasn't going to make it. Close on fifteen minutes went by before the floating sensation took hold. Bella felt stoned and a goofy grin turned her mouth up at the corners. She wobbled back to her bedroom, reveling in the airiness of her emotions dissipating rapidly.

Before she could fall face first onto her bed, dirt lodged itself between her toes and she jumped back, toppling flat onto her backside. Exploding into a fit of giggles, she rubbed the soreness from her bum and stared blankly at the patch of dirt that was once her cellphone and slowly fell silent.

"Bella," a mildly familiar masculine voice made her tilt her head up and lock eyes with her blonde hallucination.

"Who are you?" She drunkenly slurred, tilting her to the side in morbid fascination, as she took in his lithe form, "And was it really necessary to destroy my phone?" Stretching, she dabbed her toes into the dusty particles of her crushed Samsung, a petulant pout sliding onto her mouth.

Turning her hazy gaze back on him when he remained quiet, she unsteadily rose to her feet and walked straight up to him, prodding him hard in the chest.

"Ouch!" Grabbing onto her sore finger and drawing it close to her chest, she frowned at his pretty face in irritation, "This is my bedroom!"

"Stark observation Captain Obvious," he deadpanned.

"Get out! I want to sleep and you're wasting my time. You can take the guest bedroom down the hall if you must. Just leave me in peace for one night!"

She listened to his rumbling chuckle, watching the cocky smirk forming on his face and her temper erupted. She stumble-stormed to her bed and crawled under the blankets, turning her back on him. "You're not real anyway so could you please pull a Houdini and vanish from my consciousness."

She heard the dangerous growl seconds before she felt herself being pulled upright and crushed into his chest, his deep voice resonating through her, "I'm as real as it gets, Darling."

"FUCK OFF!" She screamed and thrashed in his tight embrace, blatantly ignoring her discomfort and pain from the stone structure she was punching.

His strength never faltered, locking her solidly in his hold but hers wavered and she felt her reserves tapping out. She slumped against him, the Zoloft singing through her veins.

"That's better," he purred in her ear, a smile pressing against her oversensitized skin.

A puff of defeat was exhaled from her lips, as she let her heavy head fall against his unmoving chest, arms going limp at her sides. She knew something was horribly wrong but she couldn't wrap her weary mind around the information her surroundings were feeding her. She didn't even attempt to in mild trepidation of short circuiting her entire system.

The captivating sensation that had floated in a misty haze around her mind earlier swept through her once more, leaving her spellbound in its magic. Bella felt as if she were existing in an alternate universe and everything was just so... bizarre.

"What are you doing to me?" She whispered, dream-like tones drifting from her bowed lips.

"Bringing you home where you belong. You've created more than enough trouble for me, human."

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 **A/N: Anyone who has taken Zoloft will understand the "I could care less right now" feeling that settles in.**

 **Please leave me with your thoughts x**


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